Comelec approval of transfer of Gullas’ registration bucked

CEBU — A resident of Talisay City has filed "a very urgent motion" with the Commission on Elections to disregard its approval of the application of Rep. Eduardo Gullas to transfer his registration records from Minglanilla to Talisay.

Alfredo Dabatos, former chief tanod of Barangay Tangke, alleged that Gullas’ application for the transfer of his voter’s registration to Talisay was approved by the Election Registration Board without verifying Gullas’ claim of residency in the said area.

As a resident of Tangke, Talisay for years, Dabatos said he is aware that Gullas never resided in Tangke, hence his opposition.

Donato Gonzalez, Dabatos’ lawyer, said the Comelec "blatantly refused" when he requested for a copy of Gullas’ application for transfer.

"But upon our insistence, we got a copy of the application. We were stunned, shocked, horrified and in a state of disbelief that all the while, the application has already been approved before the hearing," Dabatos said.

Talisay City election registrar Corazon Moran insisted the board approved 230 applications for transfer, including that of Gullas, when nobody raised objections during its hearing at 9:05 a.m. on Jan. 10.

Dabatos argued he arrived at the Comelec office at 8:55 a.m., but was told to fetch his co-oppositor, Lakas-NUCD district chairman David Odilao.

When the opposition party returned to the Comelec office, it was already 9:20 a.m. and they were promptly told by the board members that the hearing was done.

Gullas has been a resident of Calajuan, Minglanilla but applied for a transfer to Talisay last Oct. 10, giving way to speculations he will be running for mayor in that city.

But the congressman, in a speech in Friday’s celebration of Talisay’s first Charter Day celebration, said he is not vying for the position. — Freeman News Service